from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Plenty of people like a big, rare steak every once in a while. It's probably not the healthiest meal, but everything in moderation, right? How about insect protein for "meatless Mondays" or seaweed salads before dinner? Everything in moderation, right? Here are just a few interesting ways to expand your palate and maybe eat in a more sustainable fashion -- if you can stomach it.

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Who doesn't like ice cream on a hot day? Kids and adults alike enjoy ice cream, and ice cream products have gotten some technological improvements over the years through food science. Ice creams that don't melt as fast. Ice creams that have fewer calories but still taste rich and creamy. Check out a few of these ice cream novelties before summer is over.

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Some foods are considered delicacies, but some edible stuff can be just strange or disgusting. It's actually a bit puzzling how some ingredients and dishes are created. Sure, some weird food items are simply the result of people eating something to avoid starvation, but not always. Here are a few more kinds of protein you might want to try to eat someday.

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Recently, it seems like there are an increasing number of studies supporting the idea that eating too much red meat is bad for our health. Consumption of red meat has been linked to cancer, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cognitive decline, and the list goes on. Here are just a few more studies that will have cows dancing in the pasture.

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While there are some people out there trying to kickstop genetically modified organisms from being created, the progress of biotechnology doesn't seem to be slowing down. Researchers are coming up with all kinds of new ways to look at mysterious biological processes, and here are just a few examples.

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Grilling up some hamburgers for the summer is a very common event, but some folks have problems with eating beef (or any meat). And some people are turned off by the possibility of eating horse meat in their burgers (though horse meat is consumed regularly in some places). Here are just a few stories on how we might improve burgers or avoid cows in the process.

Researchers at Kansas State University have created a burger rich with omega-3 fatty acids. According to the scientists, "As a society, Americans' consumption of fish, especially fish that contributes to these omega-3 fats, is quite low compared to other proteins. ... Americans do, however, like hamburgers. So if we can give people a hamburger that is rich in omega-3s, it's an alternative form of a product that they already eat and does not require a lifestyle change, which is difficult to make." [url]

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There's just something really cool about things that glow in the dark. It's even more breathtaking when the glowing originates from living creatures, like fireflies or deep sea fish. While nature uses bioluminescence for purposes such as attracting mates (or prey), humans seem to be more interested in bioengineering plants or animals that glow by using fluorescent proteins from organisms that produce them naturally. Here are some examples of what people are doing with fluorescent proteins.

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It's actually somewhat difficult to avoid eating insects accidentally. Bugs (or bug parts) get into our food supply all the time, and it's not really a bad thing (unless you're a strict vegan). Some folks, though, want more insects in their food, and not just fried grasshoppers or exotic scorpions. Insect protein could be a more sustainable food source, and arguably, our distant primate relatives eat far more insects than meat from other animals like we do. Here are just a few interesting links on insects in our food.